Hollow concrete building block



Aug. 22, 1950 v H. KLEIN 2,519,664

HOLLOW CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCK Filed Dec. 11, 1945 Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLLOW CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCK Harry Klein, Brooklyn, N. Y. '7

Application December 11, 1945, Serial No. 634,164

This invention relates to bricks or building blocks, and has for its primary object the provision of an article of this character so constructed that when employed for building purposes a sturdy, fire-safe and well insulated con struction results.

The invention further contemplates a brick which can be cast or moulded with a minimum of material, yet which will result in an article of maximum size, said article being easy to handle and to lay due to its shape and self-aligning features. It is another object of the invention to provide means requiring only a minimum of mortar, possessing a high degree of insulation and contributing to speedy working conditions for the erection of building walls.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a brick of hollow or two-cavity construction formed with a top wall having recesses by which the brick may-be conveniently handled and positioned during the laying operation; which has interior surfaces facilitating a firm and easy grasp by the fingers during handling; which has inclined faces defining the cavities to render the separation of the brick from the mould cores a relatively simple procedure, and which has reinforcing ribs disposed at points whereat reinforcement is best required, said ribs being adapted to co-operate with complementarily-shaped recesses formed in one of the brick surfaces to assure proper alignment of the bricks when laid and to greatly speed up the laying operation.

These and other features and advantages will become more apparent fromthe ensuing descrip- 1? tion of the invention, and will be further clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, one of many possible embodiments of the invention is disclosed:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a brick or building block made according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the brick seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the brick.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. i

Fig. 6 is a front view, with parts in section of several bricks in a wall construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and especially, to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, a

1 Claim. (Cl; 72-41) molded brick or building block is shown whose body is provided with longitudinal side walls I and 2, end walls 3 and 4, a cross web or partition 9 and a top wall I6.

A pair of cavities or passageways, indicated by numerals 5 and 6 extend into the body of the brick. It will be observed that the inner wall surfaces 1 and 8 which define the cavities are inclined and converge from the bottom I 611 of the brick toward said top wall I6, this arrangement facilitating the movement of the mold or mold parts relatively to the brick body when the latter isformed and the mold parts or cores are to be removed therefrom.

Thetop wall I6 of the brick is formed with a pair of elongated openings Ill and II, each of said openings being located centrally with respect to said cavities 5 and 6, respectively, and communicating therewith. The openings I0, II are reduced with respect to the cavities, so that a flange I2 is provided around each opening, the faceof each flange being arcuate, preferably convexly curved from the top wall I 6 of the brick toward the inner wall surfaces I, 8 which define the aforesaid cavities 5 and 6.

Web or separating partition 9 is provided to extend substantially centrally of said brick, opposite faces of said web being each provided with a vertically and centrally disposed, rounded reinforcing rib I3, one of each of these ribs being thus located to projectinto a respective cavity 5, 6. The ribs I3 which extend on opposite faces of the web or partition 9 are interconnected by rib portion i l, said portion serving as an aligning memher when the bricks are laid in the normal staggered manner, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The inner wall face of each of the end walls 3 and 4 is provided with a vertically disposed rounded reinforcing rib I5, which substantially corresponds to reinforcing rib I3.

Formed in the top wall or top face I6 of the brick and adjacent the opposite end Walls 3 and 4 of the brick, is a groove I I adapted to accommodate at least a part of the rib I4 of an adjacent brick laid on top of another brick and in the normal staggered relation as seen in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing, the manner in which the bricks are employed, will be readily understood. The bricks are intended to be laid on top of one another in the normal staggered manner with the mortar placed between them in a relatively thin layer. In placing the bricks on top of one another in the manner mentioned, it will be noted that the rib portion It on the bottom of the upper brick la, (Fig. 6), projects beyond the bottom of said brick, and that said rib M will thus register with and fit into two end grooves I! located in the top wall adjacent the ends of two lower bricks. While the engagement of the rib l4 with and penetration thereof into such adjacent grooves l'i' may be relatively slight, it is nevertheless sufficient to materially aid in the placement and proper alignment of one brick on top of another, with the result that the bricks will not only be properly aligned but the brick-laying operation will be greatly speeded up.

The hollow nature of the brick described provides insulation characteristics and the internal reinforcement of the brick by tapering walls ireinforced by the vertical ribs, provides a brick of exceptional strength for the amountof material employed in it. The apertures or openings If! and H in the top wall of the brick and the particular shape of the flanges l2 thereon provide convenient finger stalls to which two fingers of r a workmans hand maybe appliedto easily grasp and the brick, It will be observed that the convex surface on flange 42 not only facilitates easy manipulation by the :fingers of aha-1rd inserted throughthe openings iii and l l,-but provides .alsoa tapered reinforced wall with an-enlargedlarea on-the top-of the brick for-application of the :mortar thereto.

While the various outer surfaces of the described brick are shown as being relatively smooth, it will .be obvious that the-surfaceat the bottom of the brick may be left relatively rough to facilitate interlocking action between the mortar "2E3 placed in contact with such surface. For

example, the lower face of the brick, around the pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the above embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device and methods above described and illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to besecured by Let ters Patent, is:

A building block comprising a body having opposed faces and provided with cavities passing from one of said :faces into said body and providing elongated openings at said one face, an

.arcuate flange defining each opening and posi- REFERENCES CITED The following references are "of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 786,884 Faulkner Apr. 11, 1905 1,3052% McIntyre June 3, 1919 2,012,024 Roberts Aug. 20, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country :Date

166,623 Great Britain 1921 

